


blood in the mountains

by manicpixiedream



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horrortale (Undertale), Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, F/F, F/M, Gen, Graphic Description, Harm to Children, M/M, Police Brutality, Post-Undertale Neutral Route - Empress Undyne Ending, Rape/Non-con Elements, Torture, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Xenophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-16 11:53:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21507511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manicpixiedream/pseuds/manicpixiedream
Summary: A fire on Mt Ebott uncovers much more than ash.-A Horrortale fic, written in second person with reader insert elements, but isn't specifically reader insert. Takes place post neutral route, in a timeline where the Monsters are unearthed by humans after a wildfire causes an avalanche that caves in the underground systems. Hotland and the Core are buried, but Waterfall and Snowdin residents are placed under arrest by the Ebotten police chief until they can find something to do with them. Things only worsen when they find the remains of hundreds of children who had gone missing over the past two decades.
Relationships: Kinda - Relationship, Mettaton/Papyrus (Undertale), Sans (Undertale)/Reader, Sans/Original Undertale Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	1. officer doughtery

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter Warnings:
> 
> Gore level: None
> 
> -police brutality  
> -xenophobia  
> -legal jargon i don't fully understand
> 
> You have a long day.

**_BLOOD IN THE MOUNTAINS: HUMAN MASSACRE IN MONSTER WONDERLAND._ **

The headlines were purposefully misleading.  _ Massacre _ implies that there was needless murder.  _ Massacre  _ implies that humans wouldn’t do the same thing to monsters if push came to shove-- probably easier, if you were honest.

The newspaper crumpled in your fist as you stormed down the street, cold wind whipping your cheeks. Every television in every window you passed buzzed with the same news cycle, showing gruesome pictures of fires stretching from Ebott Mountain, monsters with their faces bared to the universe in  _ chains _ as they were pulled from the dark.

You can’t help but scoff at the idea. What were they going to do? Give them legal presendence just to bring them to court? It would be a moral dilemma if they put them all to death-- hundreds of monsters, sentient beings with thoughts and feelings,  _ massacred. _

You stopped when a small crowd broke your path. They were all crowded around a police officer, who was trying to shout loudly over their voices, laden with questions.

“Alright, people, if you could move out of the way, I’d like to get to work--”

“What do you plan on doing with the monsters?”

“Have any Undergrounders passed naturally?”

“Will they be brought to justice?”

“Did you find my child down there? Please tell me you found my baby--”

You feel a swirl in your stomach as you listen. Your brain was abuzz with conflicting feelings-- the thought of innocent kids in the Underground, eaten and torn apart, filled you with horror. But you understood that the conditions down there were… less than. Would you do the same? You knew you could never understand.

The cop broke out of the crowd, stumbling on the pavement. You were so lost in your thoughts that you hardly registered it when his coffee splashed all over the front of your shirt. A ragged gasp left your throat and you stepped backwards, looking down at the hot liquid seeping into your button down.

“Ah…”

“My bad, ma’am!” The cop bristled, holding his hands up like you had a gun pointed between his eyes. “Oh, shit, that’s my bad.” He reached out for your arm, and you wound back like he had poked you with a pin. He didn’t falter, and you decided you didn’t like him very much, before his hand curled around your wrist. “Let me bring you into the station, I’ll find you something to take that stain out.”

“No, it’s…” You tried protesting, but the man was already towing you into the police station. 

“I insist.” You figured this was more of an excuse to break away from the crowd that was already starting to swarm the place where the two of you once stood. You glance over your shoulder just in time to see a woman hold up a picture of her child-- a girl no older than eleven, with golden doll hair and a large green bow, grinning at the camera with a missing front tooth.

“Can you  _ please _ ask if they found my daughter? Is she alive?”

You swallowed hard, and the police stations doors shut behind you. 

“Here, come this way.” The officer still had not smiled at you, but you didn’t care about that much. He couldn’t have been much older than you, but he already looked so tired. He led you through the bustling station, filled with cops from the nearest three districts, answering calls from concerned citizens and making calls to officials to find  _ something _ to do with the monsters squatting in their back cells.

You were passing by a holding cell when you heard intense crying. You paused, glancing between the bars just in time to see a small, reptillian monster with large eyes and no arms sitting on the floor. A deep green jelly like substance dripped from his mouth, splattered onto the ground. His eyes were swimming with tears.

“I-I wanna go home… I wanna go…” He sniffled. He sounded so young.

“Hey, over here.” The officer gave your arm a tug. You had the sense not to tear it away, but it was harder turning away from this crying child. That’s exactly what he was. He was a child.

“Hey.” You fished around in your bag, pulling out a stick of gum. The kid looked up, sniffling. “Here.” You unwrapped it and held it between the bars. “It’s just gum.”

He glanced between your hand and your eyes, and you heard something like his stomach growling, before he reached forward to take the candy between his teeth. You offered a dry smile before turning away, jogging to catch up with the cop.

“You know him?” The cop raised a bushy brow. You stammered, your own brows furrowing. He scoffed out a laugh. “Just fuckin’ with you. In here. Mind the cells, we’re cramming Undergrounders into any nook and cranny we can find until someone gets their shit together on what to do--”

“--with--”

“--this--”

“--scum.”

Every word punched you in the gut, leaving you winded by the time he was finished speaking. He smiled at you as if what he said was at all relatable, before turning to the only cell in the room.

“Turn the fuck around, Monster.” You couldn’t see who was in it, but you heard a soft mumble, almost like a growl. You wanted to shrink into the floor when the cop continued. “What did you just say to me?”

“i said…” The voice from within the cell was low, trembling with something raspy and angry. “i ain’t gonna do shit for you until you let me see my bro.”

Your breath hitched as you stared between the shadow in the cell and the cop. You watched as he glanced around, eyeing the corners. 

“Shirts are over there. Don’t mind this son of a bitch.” The cop pulled the door shut, and you squinted at him. He wanted you to change in front of him  _ and  _ the stranger? He had to have been huffing glue. “Theres a bathroom adjacent, for the sitting officers. But you have my permission to use it.” Oh. 

When you passed by the cell, you saw a red glint from within the shade of the cell. You tore your eyes away, passing your fingers over each shirt on the shelf-- you assumed these were extras just in case an officer had an accident-- before finding one that would fit you the best, which wasn’t by much, it was still a size too small.

You glanced at the cell again. The red glint had grown into a dull glow, and you saw something like a pupil staring directly at you. You wet your lips.

“Was your brother… a kid? Short, yellow scales?”

That single, red gaze narrowed. The monster was measuring you.

“no--”

“Shut the fuck up, Undergrounder.” The cop spat, delivering a kick to the bars. Your head whirled around to the cop, but you caught your dirty look before he saw it. You sigh, leaving sleeping dogs to lie, before pulling the bathroom door open and stepping inside.

The lights flickered on automatically. You avoided your reflection in the mirror, not wanting to see the damage your all nighter did just yet. Your housemates had been out partying, and when they got back, they all crowded around the television, eyes glued to the news cycle about Ebott. In truth, this had happened about three days ago, but the EPD didn’t feel comfortable releasing the story until now, when it was all  _ attempting to appear _ situated.

You made short work of your old shirt, folding it against the sink, and began to button up the new one when you heard a shout from the room behind you. You gasp, whirling around towards the door. 

“what the fuck are you doing, are you trying to kill me?!”

“Could if I wanted to, bones. There ain’t a camera in here and these walls are practically soundproof. No one would know, or care.” Your heart sank into your stomach when you heard keys jingling. You made quick work of buttoning your shirt up with shaking fingers.

“get the fuck away from me.”

“Nah. You think I’m gonna turn down this chance? I’ve wanted to fuck one of you Grounders up since I heard you were eating kids.” You heard the cop spit. “Consider this mercy.”

The shirt wasn’t even buttoned up completely when you exploded out of the bathroom, your phone already recording. 

“Out of the cell.” The flashlight illuminated the scene to haunting detail. The officer stood over the skeleton in the cell, his nightstick raised over his head. His taser was buzzing in his opposite hand. “I can ruin your career. Get out of the cell.”

The cop laughed, looking at you over his shoulder.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Are you one of  _ those _ ? Put the phone down, sweetheart. You aren’t gonna do anything to me.”

“Get out of the cell, Officer Doughtery.” Your heart was pounding, but you didn’t relent. “As in Hugh Doughtery? I know you. Your father owns Doughtery Towing.” You smiled. “You graduated high school a year ahead of me. Your little sister is a freshman in Ebotton University.”

His entire face paled.

“I can fuck up your whole career if I just… sent this to your father. To your little sister. Showed them who the real monster was. I suggest you leave the cell.”

“You little fucking slut.” Officer Doughtery flicked off his taser. “You fat fucking bitch.” You had him right where you wanted him. “You monster sympathizing little--”

“Out. Of. The cell.” 

“You just wait, I’ll ruin your life.”

“I have a right to perform citizen’s arrest you know.” That was a bluff, and he knew it. You glanced at the skeleton. He was watching you, his single pupil shrunk to the size of a poppy against the light of the flashlight. Something red dribbled from the side of his mouth. That was enough for you. “In fact, considering I’m a social worker, I could do more than that.” You keep the phone raised and push the cell door open. “Come here.”

The skeleton appeared behind you out of thin air, but he didn’t move aside from that. You slam the cell shut, turning the key in the lock. The officers eyes widen, and he rushes to the bars, slamming his fists on them.

“What the fuck are you doin!” He shouts, and you stop the recording, stuffing your phone in your back pocket and grabbing a zip tie from a box on top of the shelf. The skeleton seemed a lot smaller when he was shrugged against the back wall of the cell, but now you can tell he is much taller than you, his sheer width dwarfing you in comparison. He’s… panting, and a dull red glow is dying in his eye.

“I have to do this…” You hold the zip tie up. “Your wrists?”

“yeah.” He holds his wrists out to you, and you carefully bind them with the zip tie.

“Is that too tight?”

“nah.”

You ignore the cop cursing at you from the cell, and take this time to observe the skeleton’s wounds. The most obvious of which was a large cave on the top of his skull-- it appeared to be a clean break, no cracking or fractures, but it also seemed old. You move on, noticing small hairline cracks along his eye socket and a much larger one at the corner of his mouth, bleeding something red and oozy.

“Is that new?” You ask, furrowing your brows. He simply nods. You point to the cop. He nods again. “Alright.” You take your phone out, carefully taking pictures of the wounds. “I work at the department of human services.” You throw a look back to the cop, who stops his shouting, taking a step away from the bars. His eyes are wide. “And you may not be a human, but according to United States law, you count as an immigrant.” You smile at the skeleton. “And human services apply in that case. You fall under my jurisdiction now, considering you have been the victim of police brutality and negligence in holding. I could make a case for seperation of family, specifically of a caretaker and a minor, as well as mishandling of someone in need of medical attention, depending on how old that head wound is.”

The skeleton’s grin tightens. You can’t tell if that’s a good or a bad thing.

“my bro… can you help him?”

“I’m sure.” You finish buttoning your shirt, going back to the bathroom to grab your old one and stuff it into your purse. You produce your work lanyard from it, putting it on and taking out your wallet to flash your credentials as needed. “He would could as the minor in question, yes?”

“yeah.” He watches you as you work. “whats gonna happen to us?”

“I don’t know, but I can get a great lawyer to help me make a case for you. In the meantime, I’ll have to put you in temporary holding. For minors, that would mean placing your brother in foster care, and for adults, that would mean either a hospital, or a jailcell. But for immigrants, that would mean temporary housing, and nothing says I can’t house the two of you temporarily.”

“Are you joking me right now?” The cop scoffs, baffled. “I help one bitch and this is what I get.”

“I could sue you for harassment and violent threats.” You turn to the cop. “That would put a big red X on your back for jailtime on top of your badge being taken away. I know Daddy’s money can pay your bond, but you just wait to see how hung up in red tape my attorney can get you, Officer Doughtery.” You squint, challenging him. “I’ll have you swimming in court dates for years. I can bring up those old records of marijuana charges from high school so fast they’ll make your head spin.”

You look back at the skeleton.

“What is your brothers name?”

* * *

  
  
  


Five and a half hours later, you were being escorted out of the station. Two skeletons, dressed in thick black coats with riot helmets on to obscure their faces, were towed by officers out after you. They were placed into the backseat of an armored patrol car, and you in the front.

Director Reyes was still signing papers as she hurried out after you, knocking on your window. You rolled it down for her, squinting past the evening sundown. She looked stressed already.

“I hope you know how much I’m sticking my neck out for this.” He brushed gray hairs out of her eyes. “One of those monsters was found with human DNA between his molars, and you want to bring them home to mom.”

“I’ve brought home plenty of suspects in need of rehabilitation, Director.” You adjust your glasses. “They don’t have anywhere to go. And I have some extra room.”

“I can’t tell if you’re a saint, or if you’re crazy.” Reyes sighs, letting her head droop forward. “Officer Doughtery is gonna walk away from this, you know.”

“I know.” You sigh, slumping back against your seat. “I know.”

“Good luck.” Reyes stood up straight, brushing her hair back. “I’ll do my best to help you down here, but I have to be impartial.”

“I know, Vanessa. Thank you, anyway.” You smile at her before rolling your window up. The two skeletons in the backseat were mumbling back and forth, their voices muffled by the riot helmets they wore. You heard a high pitched whimper from one of them, but elected to let them talk amongst themselves instead of trying to interfere. You didn’t attempt to understand what they were going through right now-- there was no way you could.

The deputy sheriff stepped out of the station, jogging over to the car and sliding inside. He took one look at you and scoffed out a laugh.

“Riley, you have got to be kidding me.” He turned the key in the ignition, turning it back once, and then forward again. You squinted. “I know you’ve pulled some Kim Possibles, but this takes the cake.”

“Why’d you shut off your dash cam?” You squint at him and he sweats a little.

“Don’t worry, it’s just… I figured we’d be talking about some sensitive stuff.” He pushes his glasses up his nose. “Honest.” 

You nod, settling back into your seat, and he lapses into quiet as he focuses on breezing through the post-work traffic. He reaches up to turn the sirens on, and you hear a violent rattle from the backseat as it startles one of the skeletons.

“You guys okay back there?” The deputy sheriff calls into the backseat. Neither of the skeletons respond, but you can’t blame them. “Tough crowd.” He adjusts the radio, switching back and forth from some classic rock station to the dispatch station. “So, what’d Doughtery do anyway?”

“Police brutality.” You scoff. “I should say I couldn’t believe it, but honestly, I could, Jonathan. I could. Remember that time we suspected he’d beaten the shit out of that sixteen year old?”

“Yeah.” Jon kissed his teeth. “Little rich punk got away with it too. Which one was it?”

“I mean… Does that matter?” You shifted in your spot. “Either way, every Undergrounder in that fucking station is being incarcerated for something only a few did, and they’re all being neglected and abused.”

“I still can’t believe it. I thought Ebott Mountain Monsters were a myth.” Jon glanced in the rearview mirror. “I feel like I’ll pinch myself and wake up from a bad dream.”

“Take a left here.” You point up ahead. “I got a studio apartment down here.”

“Really, now?” Jon grins. “Moving uptown, Riley Jaspers?” He elbows you. “You’re an Uptown Girl, now.”

“I wish I could charge you for that horrible joke.” You shake your head. “But I feel you. It makes me sick how everyone is treating them. It’s almost like we forgot what this country stood for-- Shit, Jonathan!” You gasp when he swerves around a line of protestors in the street, nearly t-boning one of them.

“Sorry, sorry!” He barks out a nervous laugh. “I barely saw them, they’re all in black!”

“Right here.” You point to the high rise complex at the corner of the street. He nods, turning into the parking garage without slowing down. You curse to yourself, gripping your seatbelt. “Jesus.”

“Not sorry for that one.” He flicks off the sirens, pulling into the parking garage and stopping near the elevator. “Want me to help bring them up to yours?”

“That’d be nice.” You step out of the patrol car, aching to get out of your heels. The cold air is biting, especially against your bare forearms. You had left your suit jacket in the bathroom in the station, but it would be alright, you had bigger fish to fry.

Jonathan helps to pull the skeletons out of the backseat, keeping the zipties around their wrists as he tows them towards the elevator. You follow behind, fishing your keys from your purse. The elevator ride up to your floor was quiet, save for Jonathan’s attempts at making small talk. You didn’t want to be rude, but you weren’t in the mood for humoring him, so they were mostly ignored.

He kept the skeletons in each hand as you unlocked your apartment door, stepping inside. Your cat looked up from her nap on the couch, but immediately upon spotting Jonathan, made a mad dash for the back bedroom. 

“Shit, Riley.” Jonathan stepped inside after you, the skeletons following behind. “This is a nice place!”

“Thanks. Can you get those helmets and ties off?” You card a hand through your hair. “That’s all I’ll be needing.”

“Woah, really?” Jonathan was in the middle of cutting away the zipties when he looked up. “You don’t even need a doorguard? Or a patroller?”

“Patroller, maybe. But god no, no doorguards.” You scoff. “I value my privacy, and I’m sure these two do as well.”

“Oh…” Jonathan looked back at the skeletons before he plucked off the helmets. “There we go. Jesus.” His breath caught in his throat as he stared openly. The taller skeleton, the younger brother, had been crying large orange tears. The older brother’s eyes were entirely empty, no red glow you had seen before. “Gosh, sorry, I’ve just… Never…”

“Thank you, Jonathan.” You place your keys aside. “I’ll be taking it from here. I expect someone to bring their belongings up tomorrow, as well as their records?”

“Uh, yes ma’am.” Jon hovered in the doorway, sweating a little. “You sure you’ll be alright on your own?”

“Yep. Thank you, Jonathan. Goodnight.” You shut the door in his face, pushing the lock in place and letting out a heavy sigh. You waited until his footsteps trailed off before you pushed off of the door.

“he sounded like a tool.” Said the older brother. You scoffed out a laugh.

“He’s a good kid.” Stepping out of your heels, you looked the two of them over. “You guys hungry?”


	2. paranoid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings:
> 
> Gore level: None
> 
> -minor descriptions of violence  
> -spilled chinese food
> 
> There is a fight.
> 
> “burn some sage and rage
> 
> watch me rain on this parade
> 
> i'm dark like comas, that's why god disowned us
> 
> i'm scared” 
> 
> get visited - the buttress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> songs for this chapter
> 
> tiny souls in my eyelashes - infinity crush
> 
> r.i.p 2 my youth - the neighborhood
> 
> get visited - the buttress

The skeletons had been quiet all day. You came home from work early to look over their records, sat at the kitchen table and chewing on your pen. The two of them stayed in Papyrus’s room for the most part, their quiet conversations muffled through the walls separating the three of you.

You didn’t bother them, simply going about your day and looking over their papers. Your job now was looking after the two of them and keeping an eye on their state, as well as dealing with the officers come to investigate them, inevitably. You had a hunch that the both of them would have to undergo incarceration again at some point, but you were mentally prepared for that. You weren’t about to give up that easily.

The sun was just started to cast an orange glow into the kitchen when Papyrus’s bedroom door squeaking open snapped you out of your haze. You looked up as Sans turned the corner, his hands shoved into his pockets. His single red eye was glowing dimly, a sign that he hadn’t slept all night.

“Evenin’.” You said, adjusting your glasses on your face. He shifted his weight from side to side, grumbling out something that sounded like ‘evening’.

“uh… my bro’s kinda hungry.” He wasn’t looking at you. You hummed, nodding and clicking your pen shut. 

“Alright, cool.” You stood up, grabbing your cellphone and making your way over. “I can give you guys the phone book and you can pick which place you want to eat out at. You can make human food have magical properties, yeah?”

“yeah.” Sans moves a hand up to his skull, but pauses midway and lets it droop by his side. You pretend not to notice when he hooks his fingers into his eye socket, but it was nice he tried not to do it around you. He must have realized your… unsettlement. 

“Awesome.” You smile, moving over to the shelf and taking out the phone book. You have to blow a layer of dust off of the top, but you pass it over to him. “There ya go, the yellow pages. Just no pizza. I’m sooo sick of pizza.”

Sans nods, weighing it in his hands. He looks at you for a moment, as if deciding what to say. Then, decided, he turns around, and goes back to Papyrus’s room. 

You feel a little bad for the two of them. They must feel so… stifled, with nothing to do. You ponder how fast you could get the two of them out of the way of incarceration and into a rehabilitation center as you stack their papers neatly and file them away. You figured it would be years before there were even proper moves made towards the existence of monsters, much less legal jargon.

* * *

It isn’t long before you’re all sitting around the dinner table, awkwardly picking at your Chinese food and sitting in silence. Papyrus hadn’t stopped crying since yesterday, but now he was only sniffling and staring down at his food. Sans was restless, his phalanges tapping rhythmically against the tabletop. You play Flow Free on your phone as you eat your orange chicken.

After a moment, you look up between the two of them, watching as they both look anywhere but at you, and clear your throat, leaning back in your chair.

“So.” You say, twisting your hair around your finger. “I think… Introductions are a little overdue.” The two of them simply stare at you. “My name is Riley Jaspers. I’m a social service worker, and it’s my job to help people like the two of you who are--”

“freaks.” Sans spits, the red glow growing in intensity in his socket. You pause, watching him. “right? couple a’ fuckin’ freaks that you gotta clean up after.”

“Absolutely not.” You respond calmly. ”I was going to say  _ left behind by the system. _ Who are purposefully barred from the knowledge to help themselves, and left to die. That’s what people like me are for.” 

“A-Are you… part of the King’s legion?” Papyrus pipes up, his voice croaky. It was the first you’d heard his voice. 

“King’s…?” You blink. “Ah, no, we don’t have a monarchy. We have a democratic government, ruled by the people. Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to be.” You mumble this last part under your breath. “Like I said, the system leaves folks behind.”

“and this is charity.” Sans narrows his gaze. You ignore the stare beating into the side of your face. “all this shit… is charity. the food, the house, its just so you can throw us back out there and they’ll drag us back in those fuckin’ cages and you can wipe your hands clean of this. say  _ hey, least i tried, _ and walk away.” His voice was steadily raising as he continued. By the time he was done, his red eye had grown into a flare. 

“No, Sans, that isn’t it.” You say.

“bullshit!” He shouts, and out of nowhere, all of the food on the table is swept in all directions, splattering against the walls, floor, in laps. Papyrus gasps, rocketing back in his seat as chow mein is spilled onto his basketball shorts. 

You take a deep breath, standing up from the table. 

“It’s okay… Excuse me guys, I’m gonna grab some stuff to clean this up. If you’re still hungry, we can order some pizza.” You go to grab the paper towels, taking yourself out of the situation.

You can feel the heat of Sans’s souring mood on your back before you shut the door, and immediately the kitchen explodes with an argument. You try not to eavesdrop, but it’s hard not to when the two of them are so loud.

“SANS HOW COULD YOU?” Papyrus exclaims, his voice cracking from underuse. “THAT HUMAN HAS BEEN SO KIND TO US! THIS IS A WASTE OF FOOD!”

“papyrus, we need to get out of here.” Sans responded, his voice far from level, though you could tell he was trying to get it there. “do you trust that human as far as you can throw em? i sure don’t. there’s nothing for us here, it’s just a temporary--”

“I DON’T WANT TO BE AWAY FROM YOU AGAIN!” Papyrus was starting to tear up. “I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO THOSE CAGES!”

Sans was quiet, and all you could hear was Papyrus’s soft sniffles as he tried to get it together. You took the time to reenter the room, dragging the trash can behind you and kneeling down to pick up the mess.

The eldest stood from his chair, storming to his guest bedroom and shutting the door after him. Papyrus sniffled before standing up as well. You expected yet another door to slam before he reached down, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“HUMAN, ALLOW ME TO HELP.” He took a paper towel, kneeling down beside you. “IT IS THE LEAST I CAN DO.”

Together, you and Papyrus swept, mopped, and cleared out the kitchen, putting what leftovers that could be salvaged in the fridge and talking all the while. You found that Papyrus was rather outgoing and fun, though a bit loud and unaware of the space his own body took up.

His teeth were another issue altogether. Sans had mentioned that they used to bleed, but once he brushed them and used the medicated mouthwash you’d bought for him, they already started to look better. You were considering setting up a dentist appointment for him, but keeping him from the public eye would prove difficult. 

“Can you call the pizza place for me?” You called over your shoulder as you struggled to fit all of your cleaning supplies back into your hall closet. Papyrus nodded eagerly, rushing to the phone book.

“FEAR NOT, HUMAN!” He flipped through the pages, squinting at them. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL… ER…. SHALL…” He brought the book closer to his face. “WHICH ONE IS… PIZZA?”

“Huh?” You close the closet door, approaching him from behind. You gently take the phone book, blinking. “Papyrus, these are the R numbers.”

“OH.”

You flip back to the P’s, looking up at him. “Can you not read English? Do monsters read a different language?”

“WELL YES, THEY DO, BUT WE ALSO LEARN TO READ AND WRITE IN ENGLISH.” He scritches at the side of his skull. “I’M JUST NOT A VERY GOOD SEER.”

You take one look at his sunken in eyesockets and completely understand. You hum, dialling the number on your phone and handing it to him. “Just say… Two large pepperoni pizzas and a side of buffalo wings, boneless, for The Great Papyrus. If she asks, just say delivery.” You wink. “I’ll be right back.”

You hear Papyrus’s voice ringing down the hall as you make your way to your bedroom. You don’t spend a lot of your time in your room these days-- too busy with work or errands, so you expected it to look exactly as you left it.

You did not expect, however, to find Sans inside, pawing through your drawers. You blink in shock, reeling.

“Uh…?”

He looks up, his eyes almost challenging as he pushes your drawer shut. “sorry.” He doesn’t sound very sorry. “was just making sure i could trust you. lookin’ for weapons, magical items, all that jazz.” He sniffs. “my brother seems to be warming up to you.”

The both of you hear Papyrus loudly exclaiming that he wanted “BONELESS WINGS OF A BUFFALO” in a pregnant pause, but it wasn’t enough to lift the tension. You slide your door shut, stepping inside. 

“Sans, I understand your distrust. But… in my eyes, I didn’t have another choice. I’m sorry if you feel angry. I promise you won’t stay cooped up in this house forever, I just don’t want to see you guys get incarcerated again.”

“its only a matter of time, treat.” Sans bit out. “they found bits of human meat under pap’s teeth. they’re gonna pin something on us just to see us go down.”

“They can’t charge you for anything, you aren’t civillians.” You abject. “Laws in the Underground have always been different, but your Empress is missing and presumed dead. The next in line, the royal scientist--”

“--alphys.”

“--Alphys is missing as well. Her chosen heir, Mettaton, is the only one we have to discuss legal matters with, and yes, they’re trying to take you guys down, but I won’t let them.” Sans stares at you, his grin tightening.

“its only a matter of time before you slip up and they dust us.” He says with finality. “our time here is limited. thanks, but id rather just be dead.” He pushes past you. The force of the shove knocks you back a little. 

You feel a bit of frustration, but you’ve had your aid resisted before. This time, it was a matter of keeping them alive. You sit down on your floor to collect some of the papers he’d knocked off when the door swung open, tuning out of his muffled conversation with his brother through the walls.

* * *

  
  


Sans missed his cleaver. He missed the security of having something in his hand, or at his side, at all times, that would ensure nothing would fuck with him. He liked keeping the visage of low magic output, and something extra physical that showed how dangerous he was without breaking that visage was ideal.

Now, after nine years of having one at all times, he had nothing. He was growing more and more restless as the days went by. He felt like a freak for almost  _ missing _ the hell that was Snowdin in its last few days, but he’d take that freedom anyday over this cushy little jailcell. 

Papyrus was thankful for the human for taking them out of the cages in Ebott, but he knew better. A golden cage was still a cage. And no one ever does something like this if they don’t want something in return. Eventually, he would have to cash out, and he didn’t want to be there when the human decided they weren’t worth it anymore.

The human was at work right now, but they would be home soon. Sans tapped his fingers against the inside of his eyesocket, a new habit he’d picked up as a sort of mix of his favorite two-- it did the job of keeping him grounded now that he couldn’t smoke or twirl his cleaver around. Papyrus was watching the news on TV, delighted to see that they had been broadcasting recordings of the Underground, where a team had gone exploring.

It made Sans sick to see it, how the humans dissected everything and gutted every building out. How they ooh’d and aww’d at their homes, their culture. How they saw the blood stains and corpses and decided that they were all savages. In a sick way he wished they’d have seen it back when Snowdin was warm and beautiful-- but what did he have to prove to the humans? If they wanted a savage, he’d give them a savage.

Papyrus bounced on the couch when they showed a tiny shot of his kitchen, censored for sensitive viewership. A swirl of anger pulsed around Sans’s soul. They went into their goddamn house.

“turn it off, pap, they already showed that clip three times.” He yawned into his hand. “s’gotta be somethin’ better on.”

“AW, ALRIGHT.” Papyrus sighed, flicking through the channels with the remote. “I SUPPOSE I SHALL CATER TO YOUR TASTES. YOU ARE SUCH A HANDFUL.”

“i know, bro.” Sans stared at the screen as Papyrus watched a cooking channel with wide eyes. His thoughts drifted back to the human who was keeping them here, Riley. How they always seemed to have an answer for his anger, and never lapsed into an argument with him. In a way, he almost wanted them to explode at him, scream, shout, curse. Take a swing, even, so he could twist their arm off and remind them how much of a monster he really was.

He remembered when they had blackmailed that cop for his hide. If they were capable of things like that to get what they wanted, it was only a matter of time before he was at the opposite end of the deal. He couldn’t slip up. He remembered how they had called that cop a monster, the look on their face when they promised they’d ruin his life, and he felt angry. 

He didn’t want to get stuck in their web.

“hey, just one sec, bro. gotta go find a drink. you think the human’s got ketchup?” Sans hefted himself off of the couch. Papyrus scoffed in disgust.

“I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU CAN DRINK THAT, SANS! THAT STUFF IS FOR DIPPING, NOT DRINKING!”

“you sure?”

“YES! I’VE TOLD YOU SO MANY TIMES!”

“guess i can’t  _ ketchup _ to that one.” Sans shuffled into the kitchen, grin widening as Papyrus groaned from the couch. “what? too bad for you? aw, im sorry from my head  _ tomatoes.” _

“ENOUGH!” Papyrus threw his hands up and Sans chuckled to himself, before beginning his search around the kitchen. He scanned through the drawers, finding lots of different kinds of silverware, but nothing he could use.

Then, he spotted a knife block sitting on the counter. He looked it over thoughtfully.

“hey pap.” A moment later, he emerged from the kitchen. “still couch surfing?” he collapsed onto the couch next to his brother. “i’m gonna take a nap. hang ten for me.”

“THAT WAS AWFUL.” Papyrus frowned, but sighed deeply. “FINEEE, LAZYBONES. I’LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE HUMAN GETS HERE.”

“thanks, bro.” Sans crossed his arms over his chest, the light in his eyesocket dimming as his eyes slid shut. His mind still raced, but slowly, the tapping of his phalanges against his chest halted to a stop.

When the human arrived home, Papyrus didn’t wake him. The two of them agreed it would be best to let him sleep off the last few days. Both had noticed just how sour Sans’s mood had been, and his brother blamed it on nightmares he always seemed to have.

However, when Riley asked where the cleaver had gone from the knife block, Papyrus didn’t have an answer for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horrortale belongs to sour-apple-studios on tumblr and deviantART  
> Undertale belongs to Toby Fox
> 
> find more of me on my tumblr! http://oricoriosensu.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> So here's my new project! I'm excited to see how this one turns out.


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